Roman Infantry Helmets

This study investigates the development, manufacture, decoration and use of the Roman infantry helmet, a vital piece of personal protection equipment for both legionary and auxiliary troops.

The protective headgear worn by Roman foot soldiers of the Republican period was adopted directly from the Etruscans, who had, in turn, adapted helmets from neighbouring European cultures within and beyond the Italian peninsula. In this study, a renowned authority explains how its form remained largely unchanged until the Late Republic, when contact and conflict with a wider variety of cultures introduced new influences.

The dynamic forces at work during civil wars and the transition from the Republic to the Principate at the end of the 1st century BC led to a whole range of helmet types being introduced. These then evolved until new influences prompted further changes. M.C. Bishop illustrates how this culminated in contact with Eastern cultures, leading to completely new types being introduced. This simplified manufacture and resulted in a variety of post-Roman helmet types.

Many new finds have ensured that much has changed in the narrative of Roman helmets in recent scholarship, and the time is ripe for this accessible examination of their development, manufacture and use. The text in Roman Infantry Helmets is complemented by carefully chosen illustrations, many in colour, and eight plates of specially commissioned artwork.